Users of wet-shave razors generally appreciate a feeling of warmth against their skin during shaving. The warmth feels good, resulting in a more comfortable shave.
Various attempts have been made to provide a warm feeling during shaving. For example, shaving creams have been formulated to react exothermically upon release from the shaving canister, so that the shaving cream imparts warmth to the skin. Also, razor heads have been heated using hot air, heating elements, and linearly scanned laser beams, with power being supplied by a power source such as a battery.
Wet shaving devices may also be provided with a battery-powered vibrating function. Reciprocating, vibrating, or oscillating motion razors, referred to collectively herein as “vibrating razors,” are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,046,249, 5,299,354, 5,794,342 and 6,481,104, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Some vibrating razors include a rotary motor with an eccentric element for imparting oscillating motion.
Other electrical devices may also be provided in wet shaving devices. For example, U.S. 2002/0189102 describes a razor including force sensors and an indicator configured to signal when the blades of the razor need to be replaced.
Many wet shaving razors include a blade unit, commonly referred to as a cartridge that is removably mounted on the handle so that the blade unit can be replaced by a new blade unit when the sharpness of the blades has diminished to an unacceptable level. The blade unit may be pivotally mounted on the handle, to enhance maneuverability of the blade unit relative to the handle during shaving.